Tindersticks - Live in San Sebastian

The Tindersticks have got previous form when it comes to live albums. I've not heard them all, but Live at Bloomsbury is an album that I played to death in my student days, and it features some corking versions of tracks from their first two albums.

Tindersticks have got previous form when it comes to live albums. I've not heard them all, but Live at Bloomsbury is an album that I played to death in my student days, and it features some corking versions of tracks from their first two albums.

This album is a companion piece to their most recent album, The Something Rain, and is a recreation of that album, in order, except for the opening track, 'Chocolate'. It's a shame that they couldn't recreate that 9 minute meander through boy meets girl, boy and girl get on well, boy and girl go back to girls, boy starts kissing girl from toe to head, boy finds girl is a boy and has an erection, but it's understandable. It would have been an impressive feat of memory to recreate that in a live setting. Instead we are treated to an establishing shot of some old time jazz before the band is on and straight into 'Show Me Everything' and its languid soul music.

This is very much the vein the band have operated in since 2001's Can Our Love..., in particular 'Chilite Time', and on the albums that have sporadically followed since, especially since the band reconvened in 2008 following a 5 year sabbatical after Waiting For The Moon. 'Show Me Everything' is a pretty faithful version of what you hear on the record, the slimming down of the band has led to an ability to avoid the full production and orchestral side of earlier works.

The band work up a sweat early on, they clearly have the bit between their teeth. In the accompanying press blurb for this album, Organ player, David Boulter, talks about "It had been the perfect Friday afternoon. Well it had. We'd arrived in San Sebastian overnight by bus…the tour had begun slowly. But each day we grew and the music became more powerful. There were a few nights that felt special. For me, San Sebastian was as much about the day as the night. We might not actually be the best band in the world. But sometimes we can be fucking great!." And it's clear from the off, listening to this, that they were being "fucking great."

With no further fanfare, they plough straight into the wah-wah and rumbling bass monster that is 'This Fire of Autumn'. I never thought I would write "the wah-wah and rumbling bass monster" about Tindersticks, but its' true. This is a band with their dander up, and it's great to hear. It's powerful stuff that encapsulates the intensity of their earlier work with the electricity and soul that runs through the later albums.

The pace is brought down a bit, a breather of sorts, for 'A Night So Still', it allows Stuart Staples lugubrious voice to standout, his words to become clearer over a steady backing of what sounds like a xylophone. I can almosi picture a starry sky in San Sebastien and this being the only music you would choose for such an evening. The Something Rain is an album infused and influenced by loss, but it never feels maudlin, more of a celebration.

'Frozen' is an example of this, it's an uplifting murk of a song, that works tremendously well in this live setting, it's a mixture of jagged guitars and dissonant sax with Staples intoning "If I could just hold you, hold you" over the end of the song. As with everything else on this album, it's a faithful rendition. However, the live nature of this brings Staples' voice to the forefront.

On the train home the other day, I heard an American gentleman talking about his recent discovery of Tindersticks, and how much he liked them. Honestly, this did happen. It's an example of the Baader Meinhoff phenomenon, or is it synchronicity? His English travelling companion made reference to the whole Vic n' Bob club singer thing that gets bandied around when you mention Tindersticks to anyone that isn't a fan. It must have got lost in translation, as he looked utterly clueless abut Vic N' Bob. And in fairness, it's just not true, Staples comes across clearly throughout the album. His voice is a lot more nuanced and versatile than the joke would have you believe.

The album ends as does the parent record on the Blade Runner/Vangelis-like 'Come Inside' The sultry feeling provided by the chorused backing vocals and Rhodes piano give this a very slinky feel, and is a nice pay off to a great gig. At the end of the song Staples says "Thanks, it's been a pleasure." And he's not wrong. It has been an absolute pleasure listening to this record.

In terms of adding anything to the album experience it certainly helps bring the songs out of themselves a little. It sounds a lot like the studio album, but it's captured the sound of a band playing these songs together, as opposed to isolated parts.